The Starwood Preferred Guest Business Credit Card Gets Some Exciting New Perks

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Business owners who travel a lot and prefer Starwood or Marriott-branded hotels should look into the Starwood Preferred Guest Business Credit Card from American Express (a NextAdvisor advertiser), which is in the process of getting a facelift. Here’s the rundown of what’s happening with the card: Starwood and Marriott have merged companies and they are now in the process of merging their loyalty programs. This means Starwood Preferred Guest, Marriott Rewards and Ritz-Carlton Rewards will all be part of the same loyalty program. As part of this switch, the card is getting some new perks and features in the coming months. Continue reading to learn more.

What does the Starwood Preferred Guest Business Credit Card offer?

Starwood Preferred Guest Business Credit Card from American Express

Earn a $100 statement credit after you spend $1,000 on purchases within your first 3 months of card membership.

Earn an additional $100 statement credit after you make a purchase at a participating SPG or Marriott Rewards hotel within your first 6 months of card membership.

From now through July 31, 2018, earn 2 Starpoints for every $1 spent on eligible purchases made at participating SPG and Marriott Rewards hotels and earn 1 Starpoint for all other eligible purchases.

Starting Aug. 1, 2018, earn 4 points at U.S. restaurants, U.S. gas stations, wireless telephone services purchased directly from U.S. service providers and on U.S. purchases for shipping as well as 2 points for all other eligible purchases.

Pay no foreign transaction fees on international purchases.

Get a $0 intro annual fee for the first year, then it’s $95.

Enjoy employee cards with no annual fees.

The Starwood Preferred Guest Business Credit Card from American Express offers some solid perks that will only get better as the loyalty program merger approaches. Kicking things off is a $100 statement credit that you can earn after spending $1,000 on purchases within the first 3 months of membership. Next, after you make your first purchase at a participating SPG or Marriott Rewards hotel within the first 6 months, you’ll get an additional $100 statement credit. The ongoing rewards get a bit confusing because they are changing starting Aug. 1, 2018. From now through July 31, 2018, you’ll earn 2 Starpoints per $1 spent on eligible purchases made at participating SPG and Marriott Rewards hotels and 1 Starpoint on all other eligible purchases.

Then, on Aug. 1, 2018, two things will happen: your rewards will switch from Starpoints to loyalty points at a 1:3 value, meaning 1 Starpoint will be transferred to 3 loyalty points, and you’ll get new reward opportunities. Starting Aug. 1, 2018, you’ll earn 6 points per $1 spent on eligible purchases at participating SPG and Marriott Rewards hotels, 4 points per $1 spent at U.S. restaurants, U.S. gas stations, wireless telephone services purchased directly from U.S. service providers and on U.S. purchases for shipping as well as 2 points for all other eligible purchases.

Points earned with the card can be redeemed for free nights at over 1,500 hotels and resorts in over 100 countries with no blackout dates. You can also transfer your points to more than 30 airline frequent flyer programs – often at a 1:1 value. It’s unclear if these redemption options will change after the rewards programs merge.

On top of these somewhat confusing rewards, the Starwood Preferred Guest Business Credit Card has no foreign transaction fees, a $0 intro annual fee for the first year (after that, it’s $95) and free employee cards, which is ideal for any business credit card. Starwood Preferred Guest Business Credit Card from American Express holders also receive expense management tools to help them track and organize their expenses, along with a number of added perks, including extended warranty, purchase protection and more.

What are the downsides?

The Starwood Preferred Guest Business Credit Card from American Express is in the middle of an upgrade, which can make things frustrating for cardholders. While American Express will work to make this transition as smooth as possible, it may not be the ideal situation for all cardholders. As such, that may be something you want to consider, although we should note that the new rewards opportunities may make it worthwhile.

Additionally, the card’s redemption options are somewhat limited. If you’d prefer a card with more flexibility, look into the Capital One Spark Miles for Business. This card not only allows you to redeem for travel, cash, gift cards, brand-name merchandise and more, but it also has some impressive rewards. Kicking things off is a one-time 50,000-mile bonus that you can earn when you spend $4,500 on purchases in the first 3 months. In terms of ongoing rewards, you’ll earn an easy 2 miles per $1 spent on every purchase, every day. When it’s time to redeem your rewards, you don’t have to worry about blackout dates or seat restrictions, which is nice. The Capital One Spark Miles for Business also has no foreign transaction fees and a $0 intro annual fee for the first year (after that, it’s $95).

Should I apply for the Starwood Preferred Guest Business Credit Card?

If you’re loyal to the Starwood or Marriott brands and you don’t mind wading through the upcoming changes, now’s a good time for you to get the Starwood Preferred Guest Business Credit Card from American Express. On the other hand, if you want more flexibility with your rewards, consider the previously-mentioned Capital One Spark Miles for Business.

Disclaimer: This content is not provided or commissioned by the credit card issuer. Opinions expressed here are author’s alone, not those of the credit card issuer, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by the credit card issuer. This content was accurate at the time of this post, but card terms and conditions may change at any time. This site may be compensated through the credit card issuer Affiliate Program.

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Julie Myhre-Nunes

Julie Myhre-Nunes joined NextAdvisor.com in 2013 as a writer. Since then, she has worked her way up to her current role, Director of Content. Julie is responsible for overseeing the strategy, SEO and production of every piece of content that the company creates, including blog posts, reviews, the newsletter, social media and others. Since the beginning of her career at the Silicon Valley Business Journal, Julie's writing has been published by numerous nationally-recognized news websites, including USA Today, Business Insider, Wired Insights and American City Business Journals, among others. She is an alumna of San Jose State University, where she earned a B.S. in Journalism. Follow her on Twitter @JulieAdvisor.

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